Robert Jefford Book Review

This was a real gem.

Some may know my personal issues with the 'Un-authentic' Usui Shiki Ryoho training I got from Robert Jefford. And his refusal to refund my money, even after i explained i'd took out a loan with huge interest to attend his 'original' course.

I came across this today....

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(Edited, at the request of James Deacon, in order to reflect the final version of the review as submitted to Amazon.co.uk. Amazon have published the review without the links provided here, as they have a policy of not permitting off-site linking)
A Rather Disturbing Realisation
[This review specifically relates to the version of the book: Reiki Kyokai: Usui System of Natural Healing [Kindle Edition], available for download at 21st Sept. 2012]

After reading these sections (which comprise the greater part) of the book:

'An Eastern History of Reiki',
'The Life of Mikao Usui',
'From Tendai to Shingon: Part of the Spiritual Path of Mikao Usui',
'Usui and his Students',
'The Text from Mikao Usui's Tombstone in Saihoji' ,
'The Reiki Gakkai - Reiki Learning Society',
'Hayashi Reiki',
'Takata Reiki - Usui Shiki Ryoho',
'A brief account of the life of Mrs. Takata',
'Japanese Reiki, Dr. Usui's Original Reiki Teachings',
'Robert Jefford's Lineage for Eastern Reiki'

I got a strange feeling of Déjà vu, which rapidly turned to feelings of disappointment, and then to feelings of concern...

I would urge everyone who has purchased a copy of this Kindle book to compare the text in the sections listed, with the following online sources.

In doing so, it will become clear that more or less the entire contents of each of the listed sections of the book appears to match, almost completely word for word, text which can be found on the various web pages offered for comparison.

(Nowhere in the book, as far as I can see, is there any acknowledgement of, or even reference to, these online pages)
..

[An Eastern History of Reiki]
compare: 'The History of Reiki' http://www.reikitraining.com.au/reikihistory.htm

[The Life of Mikao Usui ]
compare: 'The Life of Mikao Usui - The Founder of Reiki' http://www.reikitraining.com.au/lifeofusui.htm

[From Tendai to Shingon: Part of the Spiritual Path of Mikao Usui ]
compare: 'From Tendai to Shingon:Part of the Spiritual Path of Mikao Usui'
http://www.asunam.com/life_of_mikao_usui.htm

[Usui and his Students (Also info on the Kanto earthquake)]
compare: 'Usui's Students' http://www.reikitraining.com.au/usuisstudents.htm

[The Text from Mikao Usui's Tombstone in Saihoji ]
compare: 'Translation of the Usui Memorial at Saihoji Temple, Tokyo Japan' (© Copyright 1998-2011 Emiko Arai and Richard Rivard) http://www.threshold.ca/reiki/usui_memorial_translation.html

[The Reiki Gakkai - Reiki Learning Society]
compare: 'The Reiki Gakkai - Usui's Original Reiki Learning Society'
http://www.reikitraining.com.au/reikigakkai.htm

[ Hayashi Reiki]
compare: 'Hayashi Reiki ' http://www.reikitraining.com.au/hayashireiki.htm

[Takata Reiki - Usui Shiki Ryoho]
compare: 'Takata Reiki - Usui Shiki Ryoho' http://www.reikitraining.com.au/takatareiki.htm

[A brief account of the life of Mrs. Takata]
compare: 'A brief account of the life of Mrs. Takata.' http://www.reikitraining.com.au/takatareiki.htm

[Japanese Reiki, Dr. Usui's Original Reiki Teachings]
compare: 'Reiki Styles - Japanese Reiki, Dr. Usui's Original Reiki Teachings'
http://www.reikitraining.com.au/reikiarticles.htm

[and, in the section: "Robert Jefford's Lineage for Eastern Reiki" - particular information concerning Hui-kuo & the Shingon Patriarchs...] compare: 'The Big Book of Reiki Symbols' ( p94 & 95) by Mark Hosak & Walter Luebeck
.
.
In concluding, I have only got two words to say:

CAVEAT EMPTOR

Reiki does not give one the right to plagiarism, even if one has a degree.

What makes a good Reiki teacher?

Truth, honesty, integrity, discipline, tenacity. Commitment to the authentic practice, the principles and the transmission of the authentic, unaltered system.

Source:
http://www.reikicouncil.org.uk/AboutReiki/ReikiInterviews/AnInterviewWithRobertJefford/tabid/114/Default.aspx

And hypocrisy, in my not so humble opinion, completely invalidates any spiritual lineage transmission of any style.

Wayne,

What's the URL from where you grabbed the quote from James?

Hi Lightbody,

Here is the link to RJ's book. Funny enough, I can't see James' review! At least we've got it on here. For all the world to see!

It's damn weird. If RJ is a Reiki teacher from the 1950's, then why is he using other peoples modern-day material?

Since he's supposedly the uber-grandmaster of grandmasters, how come he isn't using his own material?

Maybe he keeps that material for his paying students. Hold on! Arn't I one of those!!! Lmao! That reminds me, in my 'authentic' Takata training, we had a surreal moment when I began telling him what he should be teaching me!!!! Maybe I should have paid myself to teach myself. Then again, I did have a fantastic mentor back then! Someone who shared much, and asked for nothing in return. Save for the odd charity donation to wildlife causes. Whereas RJ took much, and gave nothing back.

In my 'authentic' Takata training with RJ he provided me with print-outs from James' site. I told RJ that i know James, well, am in contact with him. Traveling 800 miles to look at print-outs of James' site! When I have sat at home, and found out much more through James, for free.

Reading through RJ's site, I see an interview by Chris Marsh. Chris is claiming to have lineage to the person who taught Usui. I guess we could all claim that, if we knew his name. And if there was only one person. Anyhow, my point is, Chris claiming he is taught by Suzuki San, with lineage to Usui's teacher. Maybe Chris could next claim his name is misspelt. That he is in fact ChrisT. Oh both him an RJ have all bases covered. Chris holds the rights to the lineage in the before-Usui camp. And RJ holds the right in the after-Usui camp. Good greif.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Reiki-Kyokai-Natural-Healing-ebook/dp/B00743XM5G/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1348406053&sr=8-2

Sorry for double posting. Reading some of RJ's book he claims..

Be Warned, that any Master, Teacher or student who has received any level of Reiki by Reiju "attunement" has not received Reiki. They have received something other than Reiki. Be aware Reiju does not empower/attune anybody to any level of Reiki. Whatever the lineage. Reiju cannot attune people to Reiki.

Anyone in a Reiki system that uses Reiju care to give their experience/understandings?

I just remembered, when RJ and I were threatening legal action against one another, he did say he had evidence of the Takata training material in his repository. Or was that, his suppository.. I always get the two mixed up!

FYI, for anyone even thinking of going down the Takata authentic route with RJ like I did, I had the material looked at by two established Takata authorities. What RJ has taught me was horse-crap. Those are my words btw!

Hi Wayne,

I do not know who RJ is and quite frankly I do not have slightest interest in ,what is now referred to as, "Japanese Reiki"

When it comes to claims such as this:

Sorry for double posting. Reading some of RJ's book he claims..


Be Warned, that any Master, Teacher or student who has received any level of Reiki by Reiju "attunement" has not received Reiki. They have received something other than Reiki. Be aware Reiju does not empower/attune anybody to any level of Reiki. Whatever the lineage. Reiju cannot attune people to Reiki.

I have simple answer: It is B.S.

I am wondering why is he so shy? Why not say it out-loud:

Be Warned, that any Master, Teacher or student who has received any level of Reiki by Reiju "attunement" has not received Reiki UNLESS it is through my lineage.

Regards,

Resko

Oh Resko, if only you knew how close ya already are where you're going with this.

I'll tell ya what he said to me. When i spoke to him, he was in charge of research with the UK Reiki Federation. As respectable a group as ya can get here. He was also Chairman of UK Reiki Fed. Robert made a bid deal about this. And it was enough for me at that time. So i'm not surprised UK Reiki Fed fell for him as well.

when we first met, he showed me that he was mentioned in one of William Rand's book, in relation to research. He also showed my a book by Tadao Yamguchi, that was 'signed' by Tadao. Well, it was something printed in Japanese at the beginning of the book. RJ told me that is the way they personally sign books in Japan. I don't know bout that, and don't care.This was setting the stage to impress me. And green as i was, it did impress me - all of this.

Anyhow, he is spoke about as the 'Masters Master'. So what! I'm a Masters Master to my Master students. The implication is he is somehow above us all.

At the time of our meeting, he would only refer to his Japanese teacher as Soke Dai. He wasn't revealing the name, at least not till me. Sometime later, the name 'yoshiharu' (i think that is right, from memory here) came out. He told me that his teacher didn't want to be identified, less people 'like rand, etc come knocking at his door'.

I've said it before, and to him - I find it unbelievable, that he made an honest mistake in what he taught me. That a greenhorn like I was could find out within 24 hours he taught me crap.

i know what the Reiki community feel about all this. I felt the same. I'd a lot of issues over it all. My family and I got a loan out, at 177% apr interest. We wanted, and believed in it so much. And i wasn't working at the time. Took me years to pay it off. RJ offered me half my course fee back. I refused. Ya know, the cost of travel to London, staying there for 7 days, buying my food, buying HIS lunch every day/taking him to the pub last day (all me own goodwill offers), cost me double the course fee. I pointed all this out, he then refused to give me anything. If this is the way a high ranking Reiki person acts, they can all kiss my ass. Still upset but it? Of course. The guy is preying on the ignorant ways of the Reiki world. Still, Google is giving this topic a first page listing under the search terms of his name. Hoo-rah!

Things got ugly between him and I, court cases threatened, etc. My problem was/is the experts who advised me likely wouldn't want to get involved, and I didn't want to place them on the spot and ask them. Whereas RJ had people, some authors, who he said would be witness for him. Still, I was prepared to instigate a court case out of principle. As time went on, things got worse between us both. I felt, and did others advising me, that this wasn't in the Reiki communities best interest. Either i would have to drag others into it in court to support me, or else he would win. Giving him much more credibility. I felt it was in the best interests of everyone to let it go. And I did. For years.

I know what many viewing this are feeling. The Reiki community are so wishy-washy over things. In-action allows predatory people to carry on fleecing the public. If people don't do anything, then this continues...


Here's a really cool webpage from the Stienes'.. http://www.ihreiki.com/reiki_info/reiki_history/historical_reiki_inconsistencies/

Hi Folks,

For anyone interested, I've got word back from the main author that RJ has copied stuff from. It is as was thought, Lawrence Ellyard, has gave no permission for his work to be in RJ's book. Lawrence in fact authored all the material on his site himself he tells me. And RJ hasn't even acknowledged where he got the info from.

I mentioned to Lawrence that he was a student of RJ. Oh no! In fact it seems RJ was a student of him! More lies I was told in my Reiki training with RJ!

Anyhow, just so I can't let James have all the glory, i've wrote my own review!!!

1.0 out of 5 stars Ridiculous, 28 Sep 2012
By
Wayne Harrison - See all my reviews
This review is from: Reiki Kyokai: Usui System of Natural Healing (Kindle Edition)
I've gave this 'book' the lowest possible rating. The 'book' (if i can even call it that) has almost word for word used much of other peoples material. without permission and without acknowledgement. I have contacted one ORIGINAL author of most of the copied work. They confirmed to me that they have gave Mr. Jefford no permission to use the work. I see specific pointers to the work I am talking about in other reviews.

As a writer, I realize the work that goes into writing. POD (print on demand) is a great new idea. It is though, one of the easiest, cheapest, ways to get a book out. With that in mind, and the FACT much of the material in this book is other peoples - that is freely available online - the price for this, ahem, 'book' is VASTLY more than it is worth.

They say imitation is a form of flattery. It might be more a case that one doesn't have anything ORIGINAL to say. If that is the case, it casts much doubt on the claims this book attempts to make unsuspecting people assume.

Warmest wishes

Wayne